Pipe-actuator.



F. G. HORN.

PIPE ACTUATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1910.

1,047g942. Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

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,15 7' avoiding all unnecessary excavation. For

9 with considerable "mechanical advantage; i

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIo FREDERICK G. norm, oFroLEno, oHIo.

urn-ACTUATOR. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 24,1912. Application fi1e(1' OctoberlO, 1910. Serial No. 586,216. I 7 a To all whom it may concern: i t .Be it known that I, FREDERIOK'G. HORN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Actuator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to member actuat ing mechanism, more particularly as adapted to automatically engaging' orgripping the member as it is caused to progress.

This invention'has'utility when embodied in devices for actuating by either driving or pulling a member through material, having especial value in laying pipe or, conduits under pavements and sidewalks, thereby instance, the pipe may be driven from the cellar to the streetmain, and street. main excavation alone is necessary to complete the connection. I 1

Referring to the drawings: Figured shows an embodiment of the invention as adapted to a pipe actuator;-F ig.2 is" a plan fview thereof with-partsbroken away; Fig. 3'

is a detail view in planof a link extending from the actuator to coact with the actuated. member; Fig. 1 is a section of the member gripping elements of the device Fig. 5 is an end view of these gripping elements showing the gripped member in section; Fig. 6

is a longitudinal sectionalview of the Hush-' ing nozzle; and Fig. 7 is atransverse section thereof on the line VII VII of Fig.- 6.

In the excavation 1, near the end? thereof, where it is desired to operate, the machlne may be locked or fixed in position to permit operation, say by the anchor posts 3'driven into the bottom of the excavation. Thelower portions of these pointed hollow posts. are reinforced by the rods 4 'tomore surely resistthe work action. Carried by the pair j of posts and maintained in position! thereon by'the set screws 5 is the forkedfulcrumg bracket. 6 which maybe adjusted to various positions as desired for operation. This fulcrum bracket 6,;be'sid'es being adjustable on theposts 3 by theset screws 5, has ful- Icrum pivot holes 7 which may receivethe fulcrum pin '8 to carry the first class lever .9 shown as of a dimension to permitoperatiOn This mechanical advantagemay-be varied by placing the fulcrum pin, 8 indifierent' ;10,which pivot arms carry the link '12 havproduces a re-setting to ber 24 as it progresses.

13. This link 12 opposite thegripping ele ment' 13 is provided with a concave side 14:

with which rockably coacts the'bolt15 to adgustably mount the yokelink 16 having pivot pin 17 to carry the opposin grippin element 118 shown as provided with the ing an extended gripping element portioni c tional functionof maintaining this pin in ii position. This spring 2O is astride the gripping means comprising the elements 13, 18, as well as astride theiforkedlinkj16. The medial portion 21 of this spring, 20 may engageinlahook or keep 22 ofthe link 12 as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. So connected up this setting device tends to throw the gripping element 18 toward the lever 9 so that when the leveris actuated to push this shoe or grippingelement 18, the grip 1E ping action will occur, while the reciproca tion of "lever 9 in thejoppojsite direction will result in releasing of this gripping element. This means that the clutching "will occur in but one direction of the "lever operation, '1'

which" operation is shown in Fig. 1 as pipe withdrawing position. To reverse the action of this setting device, it may be slipped over to the dotted line position 23 shown in sitely disposed tothe position shown in full lines'in Fig. 1'. 7 When the springQO engages the hook 22nearer the lever 9 thereis a Fig. 1, or bere-set in the pin 17 to be oppotendency to force the shoeor gripping element 18 awayfrom the lever9 in the swing i of this'element 18 upon the link 16 *so ithat" when the lever 9 is actuate'dto pull the element 12, a gripping will-oc cur, whi1e the reverse or pushing of elementlQ away from lever9 willunclutch or free the member to j be actuated thereby. Each reciprocation To adapt the device for various sizes of rods, pipes or other means to be driven, thei 'set screw or bolt 15 may be adjustedto vary the position of theshoeor toothed gripping element 18 as to the smooth face gripping element 13. In practice the curvature of smaller.

In driving h llowreengage the memmembers, Say as p p in many instances the resistance of the earth may be reduced by a combined flushing operation, this being especially true in the intermittent action of the lever machine here- 5 in disclosed. There is accordingly shown connected up to the pipe 2 1, the hose 25 from a source of water supply, while the embedded end of the pipe 2 1- is provided with a flushing nozzle 26 shown as having the hollow cone end 27 in which is fitted the adjustable taper head bolt 28 with the nut 29 thereon to coact with the yoke 30 having the legs 31. This yoke and its legs while maintaining the bolt centered, allow passage of the water through the jetting spray from between the head of bolt 28 and the cone 27 of the flushing nozzle when the bolt is in its forward position as limited by the legs 31. As material is jammed into the end of this nozzle, the bolt 28 sets to prevent clogging. When the actuating pressure is released, the water will remove this material from the head of the nozzle and by seeping through the soil allow of more easy operation. In some instances the soil may be moist enough to not require this flushing, while in other instances operation may be effective even without moisture. "When there is water to contend with, this device is of exceptional value owing to the fact that the parts to be adjusted and the working parts are disposed above the line of the actuating member. This means there is a minimum of trouble from water in the ditch or cellar, and that whatever excavation is made need not be any greater depth than the pipe to be laid because the machine may drive the pipe right along thebottom of the gutter. The gutter itself serves to aid in guiding the pipe whenever such guiding may bedesirable. In the event of meeting an obstruction in the soil, or in removing pipe already laid, the pipe may be withdrawn with the mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 1, full lines, while for driving the pipe the setting device is drawn to the position shown in dotted lines 23, Fig. 1.

The various adjustments permit of the use of the lever other than first class when such might be desired. The disposal of link 12 is such that the line of pull from the lever approximates the effective line of actuation of the driven or pulled member, thereby insuring maximum of efliciency in operation. The extended surface of contact of the gripping elements insures positive engagement of the member driven and notwithstanding the extension of the gripping surfaces is such as to eliminate possibility of crushing the pipe or even fracturing the galvanizing.

When using this machine, especially with the posts anchoring it in more or less soft soil, the great power of the machine tends to loosen the posts which rock upon the driving and recover strokes'to, thereby shorten the effective pull length, and still further loosen the anchor. To eliminate this trouble in many instances it will be found desirable to mount upon the fulcrum bracket 6, adjacent the anchor posts 3, a recover gripping means. This recover gripping means is shown in Fig. 1 as embodying the stem 32 adjustably carried by the bracket 6 to permit of proper gaging of the distance from pipe 24. This stem 32 is shown as pivotally carrying the grip ring 33 so that when the lever 9 is on its recover stroke, this grip will lock with the pipe 24: to hold the bracket, and thus throw the driving grip 13, 19, the full stroke distance for reengagement. In any instance where it is desired to mount the machine along a pipe or other member without slipping the grips over the end of the pipe, the grip of form 32, 33 may be eliminated and a grip say of type 13, 19 adopted.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe actuator comprising a pair of vertically disposed anchor posts, a hori-' ment carried by the second linln 3. The combination with a pair of anchor posts, of a fulcrum bracket sleeved upon said posts for adjustmenttherealong, and a lever mounted on the bracket and provided with intermittent gripping means for engaging and disengaging a member to be actuated.

4. The combination with a vertical anchor, of a fulcrum bracket carried thereby,

means for vertically adjusting the position of the bracket along the anchor, means for adjusting the position of the fulcrum of the bracket independently of the carrying of the bracket by the anchor, and a lever mounted on the bracket fulcrum and provided with member gripping means.

5. The combination with an anchored inintermittent driving machine embodying a bracket and a lever carried by the bracket,

of driving gripping means connected to the lever and a recover gripping means connected to the bracket.

6. The combination with an intermittent driving machine provided with anchor posts, of a driving gripping means for" actua ing a member, and a recover gripping means coacting with the actuated memher to relieve the'posts. p a

,7. An actuating mounting, a first gripping element through which the gripped load is directlycarried from the mounting, an opposing relatively freely swingable second gripping element, and a member pivoted to one of the gripping elements and having a rockable set screw connection with the other element adjustable to vary the dis- 'tance between the grippingelements and providing the swinging and only mounting for the second gripping element, whereby the second gripping element may swing toward the first gripping element to effect gripping action.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

8. Thecombination with a pair of opposing tiltable gripping elementsof reversible yieldable setting means coacting between the elements and provided with two mountings, 20 said means tiltlng the gripplng elements in I one position of its mounting for gripping Witnesses:

] GEO. E..KIRK, G; H. RAUoH.

Washington, D. G. I

FRED; G. HORN.) 

